LONDON – Physicist Stephen Hawking has warned that the rise of artificial intelligence could see the human race become extinct.

In an interview with the BBC, the scientist said that while “primitive forms” of artificial intelligence have proved useful, if the technology is developed to a level that can surpass humans, it “could spell the end of the human race.”

He said that advanced artificial intelligence would “take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever increasing rate.”

Human biological evolution will not be able to compete and “would be superseded,” he said in the interview Tuesday.